John Adams- Legacy

[MikeSears100]

John Adams legacy? The Alien and Sedition Acts, appointed John Marshall to Supreme Court, and an UNDECLARED war called the Quasi-War with France as well as he built up the U.S. Navy & Army and to pay for this build up was the Direct Tax of 1798.

.

[mev186]

@MikeSears100 Yeah. Nobody's perfect. Lincoln held people in prison without a warrant. Roosevelt.... Well type in "Japanese Americans 1942" in the Wikipedia search bar.

[MikeSears100]

@mev186

And both Lincoln and FDR were utter and total failures just like Adams.

[cosmicdingo]

What I hate about this is the use of an excellent miniseries by right wing idiots to pump cheap jingoistic bullshit regarding the current political situation.That's right, you.

[Dragblacker]

@cosmicdingo What are you talking about? This show is hardly ever mentioned.

[Shubael1809]

@cosmicdingo Those who know the difference. cosmicdingo. are on to their ploy. The lot of them couldn't conceive of (let alone produce) the beauty and accuracy of this portrayal of Mr. and Mrs. Adams should their very lives depend on it. They have a very distorted notion, these faux-patriots of what constitutes the beginnings of this country and the very initial INSIPIRED founding documents because of which (some of us ) enjoy our personal liberties.

[cosmicdingo]

@Shubael1809 Thanks so much.

[Shubael1809]

@cosmicdingo I am in TOTAL agreement with you cosmicdingo. Well put.

[canadarox14]

I like emails for convenience sake, but when I watch things like this, I really miss the good old days of hand written letters. John and Abigail's letters are like poetry! People don't write that way any more.

[Shubael1809]

@canadarox14 Yes they do. I do in fact. What's your bloody excuse?

[Shubael1809]

@Shubael1809 You haven't a clue what constitutes being an insightful, educated, caring, inclusive American. I am ashamed to call you "countryman".

[kepler1000]

Folks don't worry, we have Obama.......he is super-smart, in fact He is the smartest president ever, no wait my fault the smartest human ever, wait no my fault again....the smartest being in the Universe.....

LOL! Oh Mediocrity....

[Shubael1809]

@kepler1000  The "mediocrity" written here is yours alone kepler.

[megncomedy]

I really thought it was amazing. I hadn't expected tht of the kids around me, b/c of the way i know they are. I know tht most of them probably weren't able to comprehend the magnitude of what John Adams said, but it really tore @ my heart b/c....well I really can't explain it. Like i said, I just really can't even begin to express my gratitude & thoughts about what our early history was like.& everyday i wish that we still had people in this country like tht. Please. Preserve our freedom. <3

[confederatecharlie]

@megncomedy I am so glad to hear young people like you say that, you have restored my faith in the future. In you last sentence, you said, you wished there were people like this today. There are, your one of them.

[megncomedy]

@confederatecharlie Thank you very very much! :) It means a lot to hear you say that! I'm glad I can express & spread my feelings for this type of thing, our history & the future of our country (etc.) I'm sure there must be more people like this, but we have to say that enough is enough & fix it ourselves, because most of our government isn't going to. My mom says I might just find myself in politics, & that was something I was hoping to avoid. But now idk. Thank you again!! :D Means a lot.

[megncomedy]

My history teacher showed us this series in school this year, we finished it about a month ago. it's one of the GREATEST things i've ever seen, and truly shows how great our country used to be and definitely protrays our founding fathers struggles in the greatest of ways possible. After every epsiode we watched in A.E. periods, most people would just go back to talking to their friends. but after this last episode and the last lines, everyone was just kind of quiet for a minute. ^^

[megncomedy]

I'm a 14 year old kid living in a world where all the other kids around me believe all the crap that our government has started spilling out to us, & I'm one of the only ones smart enough to know what's happened t o our country & how it's absolutely going to the dogs. The way things are now with our gov. makes me absolutely ill. I've always loved learning about my country's history and hold it in high respect, WAY more than is expected of an 8th grader. (more above)

[thetenia]

@megncomedy Thank you, you know how much reading your comments makes me feel better? Do you realize how important it is that young people like yourself have the sort of reactions you have to our history? If everyone young simply lapses into cyncism, those who deprive us of freedom have won already. Please keep going the way you are, you have a great burden placed on your generation, I don't envy it. Yet you can triumph, always believe that. Adams did.

[megncomedy]

@thetenia Thank you very much I appreciate it, tht means a lot. I do realize it, now more than ever. I agree with you, they will definitely hav already won if we all give up on our country & its history (ESPECIALLY this generation as you say), & I find it extremely nerve racking. I'll definitely keep going the way I am, I don't think there's ANYTHING tht will change my mind (for the worse) now. We do hav a huge burden. I rlly hope history repeats itself in this way, & we get our country back :)

[tainorebelde1]

I shed tears EVERY DAY for my COUNTRY.....

[hanno21664]

about 2 years ago i posted some comments,i say this because since my postings i have showed john adams to my history classes. and every time i show this no one says a word. they are glued to the tv. after it was all over and class was dismissed one student came to me in private and said, "sir excuse my language but i have to say after watching this we seriously have fucked it all up now" i was proud to know he practiced his freedom and though he used a bad word i told him many think that way

[WiseGuy5674]

@hanno21664 ..You sound a lot like the history teacher I had in 10th grade back in '80..This man inspired me to appreciate history for what it was and remember it for what it could be again. If this mini-series had come out back then, we definitely would have watched it, discussed it, and walked away in awe.

This should be mandatory viewing for all high school students.

[RushLimborg]

Adams's final lines were the perfect ending to the series. As it fades to black, it really drives it home, and makes one think, "Oh, dear God...what have we done to our nation?"

[SEAVet69]

I am a Massachusetts man, aware of his nation's history, a direct descendant of a Private in Washington's Army, and desperately worried we have seen this country at its best and the future is bleak. Greed, whether for money or power, now rules our every move. I apologize to John Adams and the other founding fathers for this failure.

[BuckFarack14]

im going to send a copy of this mini series to the white house C/O the obama family.

[mev186]

@BuckFarack14 I think they have HBO at the White House...

[sinopesphilosopher]

@BuckFarack14 Oooh, you're so clever and bold! Nitwit...

[megncomedy]

@BuckFarack14 You should. That'd be awesome. If there is ONE thing they need, it's to see this.

[wayne62682]

Anyone who considers themselves a patriot owes it to themselves to watch this mini-series and realize how far this country has fallen from the ideals of the Founding Fathers.

[SondheimFanatic1]

This miniseries was AMAZING!!!!!!

[RushLimborg]

As evidence of how we let these men down: look how the "progressive" historians paint the founding fathers as evil white slaveowners--and how thay smear America as inherently evil, its founding principles as flawed, etc.

John Adams, forgive your posterity.

[TheGreatPrince]

@RushLimborg

The simple solution towards this is a logical one: avoid the fallacy of presentism when viewing history. Presentism is a serious flaw towards studying history and has no place in objective investigations concerning it.

[TheIndependent09]

Adams believed in the promised of a UNITED States of America. What's going on today with the tea partiers will break this union apart if we do not act. Adams sacraficed his political career to preserve it. We need to make a good use of this union!

[HOLadd3]

I've watched the series dozens of times, and with every viewing I come away depressed that we've SO lost our way...

[MtMichael1776]

"You will never know how much it cost us to preserve your freedom. I hope that you will make a good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it."

[bombdoghandler]

1:00

[canadarox14]

Wow. They were good writers. That last letter really sums it up, doesn't it?

[dmcburn75]

It is our media who disgraces the pains of those gone before. A world of instant pleasure has blossomed from the seeds of revolution. I ask where the blame shall lay?

[jmghrr]

"no prosperity you will never know how much it cost us to preserve your freedom.I hope that u will make a good use of it if u do not i will repent in heaven that i ever took half the pains...to preserve it"

[SandsHUN]

You late!

Read before...

"Letter of Abigail Adams, 26 April 1777"

[jmghrr]

wat do u mean? i was only saying the last sentence john said in the mini-series cause i really enjoyed it it tells the truth we will never know all they suffer and we must be thankful for independence itself

[jgyll8mt]

Politics....that subject and the comments about it below are about as interesting as this clip

[1234qwergh]

I loved the series, though it caused an avalanche of pompousness in casual political discussion.

[CruxisXIII]

isn't this quote said by John Quincy Adams? I looked it up and all the sources say it is from JQA not John Adams.

[olivemike81]

Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin and the rest of the Founding Fathers are the greatest collective group of men the world has ever seen. They had their faults but their creation of the United States is an accomplishment unmatched in human history. They didn't just create a nation, they created an idea. One that still lives to today.

[jeepersfreepers]

It truly is amazing that such a group of men could exist at the same time--cannot be mere happenstance.

[thomasw78]

So the founding fathers really are rolling in their graves.

[wolf8503]

I agree seeing how the president said we are not a christian nation..

[Rustyshackleford08]

Its more than that, its everything else, especially since 1913.

[DireWeevil]

Grrr!!

Wilson.

:|

[Rustyshackleford08]

Yep, Mr KKK Wilson sold America out for good.

[olivemike81]

That's interesting seeing how most of the Founding Fathers weren't Christians.

[Rustyshackleford08]

Yep they are doing a whole circus act.

[olivemike81]

They were rolling in their graves long before Obama.

[Babitzka]

John and Abigail's wonderful letters! This little sequence made me cry. :' )

[wolf8503]

YES! clearly 1:06- 1:26 is the best part of the series!

[SandsHUN]

Posterity! you will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it. ~John Adams letter to his wife Abigail Adams, 26 April 1777.

[DireWeevil]

Very, very powerful, and a charge to us all.

[SandsHUN]

Yes! All of you! American people must know these words!

Not me....i'm just an USA, John Adams and Jefferson fan from Hungary, EU. :-)))

[tplfc42187]

This was a great miniseries, fantastic in every detail.

[Triumphit1]

My Favorite President!

[jeepersfreepers]

I'm one of those that cried at the ending--actually at many parts in the mini-series. I don't think many people appreciate the courage it took for these men to do what they did. I think if more people did understand they wouldn't be in such a euphoria over a man that has accomplished very little. Thank you John Adams, but I'm not sure we deserve the fruits of your sacrifices.

[riceowlex]

Headed for the abyss which is the crossroads. I for one won't go quietly into the night.

[Monorprise]

me nether.

[DireWeevil]

I'll be making all kinds of noise along side you.

[chelxeaty]

i love the john adams series, i think they should make a thomas jefferson and abraham lincoln series...

???????

i love american historyy...

[wayne62682]

John Adams truly must be repenting in Heaven, given how this country has become. We need to fix this country, lest all the Founding Fathers did for us be in vain.

[Monorprise]

They got us a good 100 years, before we completely broke it in 1913, and a good 70 years before we started breaking it in 1861.

I have to say that's quite an amazing job for mere mortals like us.

No man can control future generations that will not read their warring.

[Monorprise]

We must be prepared to do the same, for our children and posterity.

Liberty is no light or easy a thing to maintain.

[megharp17]

AM I the only one who cried?

[smoky90210]

After seeing John die and this.And feeling the impact of what this man gave for us to be happier beings,and to form this nation,I cried long,he didnt have to do what he did but he did it.

[ramshaw51]

No, his death and his wife's death had me in tears. Then this ending only solidified how great a man he was and that is coming from a Briton.

[jmghrr]

lmao i forgot at the end with a farm 4 kids and ur husband away sometimes half way through the world

[jmghrr]

when he said " no posterity u will never cost us to presrve ur freedom I hope that u will make a good use of it , if not i shall repect in heaven that i ever took half the pains ... to preserve it " hes absolutley right.We are taught that u kno the americans won independence from britain and it was hard.the end? . NO . we will nver know how much it cost and we have left the founding fathers down.We have taken advantage of it.Imagine 14 years with a farm & 4 kids just for us.We shuldappreciatit

[Stauffer610]

I think this was the perfect ending to the series. It really culminates all that John Adams strove in his life to achieve in a little over a minute, and it does a shocking job at opening your eyes to how much he actually gave towards this country. It's a shame that people today take his sacrafice and the sacrafice of so many others for granted. Amazing miniseries. The book was amazing, too. I recommend it highly

[olivemike81]

I think we are pissing away this glorius gift we've been given. By the way god didn't give us freedom, if he did we would have never had to fight the British in the first place. Men, and men alone, gave us our liberties. And we are squandering them! All you need to do is look at reality tv and the rest of the pop culture wasteland to see proof of that.

[hanno21664]

your post is insightful and yet so so true. sadly true power words my friend. The Great men only knew what they believed in and worked so hard to make sure the country they gave us would be free and a tolerant country. Yet in my part of my world i see more intolerance childish behavior among the adults in my neighborhood instead of wanting or desiring to share opinions and thoughts to do so in my town is wrong.I practice my freedom and yet I am shunned away by my fellow man.how sad.

Blessed be

[hanno21664]

Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, Hancock, and President/General Washington plus all the other Fathers would be so upset right now if they are looking down on us. I can only imagine what they would say now, if they spoke from the graves. Allow me to guess for them- I am sure they would all call for another revolution or cry out in anger or lead us again since we do not have real leadership anymore. Just sharing my opinion.

Blssed Be.

[PrussianSunsets]

I'm not so sure, sir. True, these past 8 years have been controversial, but I think Jefferson would appreciate the growth of Democracies in previous areas of tyranny. Hamilton would appreciate our (Former) financial and economic superiority. Madison would be flattered to know that his work, the Constitution has survived so long and has gone on to influence many other nations to strive for such laws. We don't live up to their examples much, but I still think there is much to be proud of.

[hanno21664]

very true I agree with what you said, but I was trying to explain(and i only talking about what i have experienced in my hometown) our basic freedoms given to us by our founding fathers are being violated. These past 8 years, we have seen so much craziness and confusion, people I know dont want to speek their opinion, or practice their freedom of speech, yes I do acknowledge the growth and(former)superiority you mentioned. Good Post btw i enjoyed it.

[hanno21664]

iam curious though,as i am sure many are,i wonder what we as a country would be now or what kind of laws we would have if Hamiltons proposal of what can be described as a monarchical government for the United States.

I guess that is the big IF in american history.

[hanno21664]

again i enjoyed reading your post thank you sir!

[PrussianSunsets]

Thanks. I'm not the biggest Hamilton fan, but I will admit that he was one of the most ambitious workers to ever serve our country. The man had strong reasons and principles. I do wonder what his presidency would have been like were he to run and win. Another one of our big What If's...

[olivemike81]

We didn't become the strongest, richest country on earth by ignoring the Constiitution.

[wolf8503]

we also didnt become the strongest country on earth by saying sorry to everyone on earth for what we have done in the past

[olivemike81]

I'm sorry you confused "we don't torture anymore" and "we're actually going to engage in real diplomacy now" as an apology. Obama isn't apologizing, he's telling people that the disgraceful administration of Bush is over. I guess though that you don't give a shit that Bush just spent the last 8 years shitting all over America's reputation.

[wolf8503]

well he must not know we WATERBOARD our own special forces...he is oblivious to everything else it wouldnt surprise me... im sure the FBI and CIA waterboards their agents also..now as a Liberal you think thats perfectly fine right?? to waterboard our own people and its not torture but , to waterboard someone who cuts Americans heads off its just the most immoral thing right? Bush understood evil exists in the world Obama embraces it and has "hope" for the future

[olivemike81]

Do you know anything about anything? We waterboard our own people to prepare them in case they are captured and are waterboarded by our enemies. It's not like we do it just to torture them. Know what you're talking about before you open your mouth dumb shit.

[wolf8503]

sorry, it cannot be justified one way and be considered immoral and torture the other way...If the president says there are other ways to get info from the enemies other than "torture" then there are better ways to prepare our military other than "torturing" them ..but you cannot simulate sawing someones head off with a knife with a 6-7 inch blade and holding on to them while they squirm around and gasp for air....you idiot..Waterboarding is the last thing on the minds of this kind of enemy

[wolf8503]

i wonder how many times Khalid sheik mohamad had to be waterboarded to finally figure out he was not going to die and we were not going to kill him from waterboarding..maybe after the 90-100 time? these idiots are more valuable to us alive..they dont think that way about us..

[olivemike81]

Maybe instead of worrying about what Khalid Sheik Mohamad thinks you should be more worried about what Bush did in your name. Waterboarding is torture and it didn't even work.

[Monorprise]

Frankly I don't care, nothing Obama does abroad can excuse what he and his congress do to our liberty here at home in usurping our basic right to self determination in both banking and health care.

If you care more about your reputation than you do yourself, then you might as well be that dead sheep that runs off a cliff because all others did.

[olivemike81]

None of your rights of self determination have been curtailed. What did you mean about "care more about your reputation than yourself"? I would say sometimes a man's reputation [his 'honor' if you will] is more important than himself because without a good reputation and name you are nothing. A man's word and his name are very important.

[Monorprise]

What about my right to manage my own fiances?("federal control of banking, as well as forced personal services taxation like Social securty")

What about my right to Manage my own risk and health care cost?("forced nationalized health insurance")

What about my right to chooses where i work and what I work for?(nationally imposed minimum wage laws and standards).

What about my right not to be cohered into joining a union? (card check)

A man's reputation is nothing without his freedom.

[olivemike81]

Well taxes are taxes. Just because you don't agree with one doesn't mean it's violating your freedom. And Obama isn't going to get rid of private health care. He only wants to offer cheaper coverage to those who can't afford private insurance. "Choose where you work"? I seriously doubt that's threatened. And "what you work for"? So you want to work for lower than minimum wage? A minimum wage is about a MINIMUM wage, not a maximum wage.

[Monorprise]

Taxes are not taxes, Taxes that are usurpation of control over my life, as the core behind the evil that is government. Government is at best a necessary evil any expansion of that evil is an unnecessary evil and thus a tyranny.

I'm afraid your very much incorrect as he will tax all alternatives out of existence by nature of forcing us to subsidies it.

[Monorprise]

Too much taxes for government sticking it's nose where it done belong is wrong, and like all taxes amounts to a usurpation of our rights. This usurpation is not even REMOTELY necessary, much less Constitutional.

So you will forgive me if I Strongly disagree with the assertion that Taxes are just Taxes. there is Taxes to pay for a necessary and Constitutionally allowed evil, and there is Taxes for an unnecessary and unconstitutional tyranny.

Remember our Revolution was over such Taxes.

[Monorprise]

It is the sheer Scale of this usurpation and the exertion of control over our lives that comes with it that should by all rightful means spark revolution.

Because to submit to such is to submit to being a slave, to not only be forced to surrender our free will to the state but to pay for that states extraordinary expensive control over our lives as well! That is Servitude, That is serfdom, that is our exploitation, That is our own Tyranny!

No freedom loving man would or should submit to this.

[olivemike81]

Ok so you've gone beyond the regular "the dems tax us too much" and just went to "all taxes are evil?" What century do you live in? I understand why you may not want tax dollars to pay for welfare programs but I assure you raods, bridges, schools and our military don't fund themselves. It takes...wait for it.....TAXES!!!!!!!! And government is not a necessary evil. Government is necessary. Obviously you are an anarchist.

[Monorprise]

?? No all Taxes have always been regarded as an evil, particularity by our founding fathers. Such as is the nature of Government in general being an inherit evil. There is a difference between a necessary and tolerable evil and an unnecessary and intolerable one. Government expansion beyond basic police security roll as to protect our rights from usurpation by others is an unnecessary evil. All taxes to that effect are an Unnecessary evil.

[olivemike81]

Government is supposed to do for us what we can not do for ourselves. There is more to government than providing military protection. Maybe in the days of Jefferson the government was properly limited to a very small role, but in today's world that kind of thinking is dangerous and naive. I don't want government telling me how to live my life but I certainly don't want a government limited to military funding. We have to find the balance in between.

[Monorprise]

Is it? Or is it as both Jefferson and Adam's correctly pointed out that Government is dangerous and to allow it to do anymore than absolute necessary is a dangerous affront to liberty.

Are not theses other functions of government an unnecessary effort which leads invariably to the corruption of government? Look at what has happen to our country sense we started down this path. our congressional replacement rate has dropped from 50% to less than 10% We are building an oligarchy!

[Monorprise]

of the 224 Congressmen who have ever served 30 years or more only 9 of them served before the 20th century! Why is it that we now have a "poltical class" why is it that we allow politicians to be endlessly corrupted by endless power? Why is it that Government now trys to command every aspect of how we live our life? You tell me we need theses things in the modern world and ill tell you WE NOT ONLY DO NOT NEED THEM, They are harmful to us!

[Monorprise]

Our Republic has fallen apart one only needs to read the Constitution to see that, to see how it now overthrows banks, and private industry, usurps our freedoms, how it blackmails for money, and consumes all of the fruits of our labor, simply to keep itself in power!

This is how democracy run themselves into the ground! It has happen before to countless others and it is happening right now to that which uses to be a proud republic before it stopped following it Constitution long ago.

[HeatForce]

Well, according to the constitution and in regards to "today's world" here is what the federal government should provide and protect: a military to protect our nation, sound money, protection against fraud in the free market, upholding contracts, protection against our state governments if they become tyrannical, and upholding and protecting our unalienable rights, i.e. life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Fed's haven't done their job very well :)

[olivemike81]

The American public isn't doing a very good job holding up their end of the bargain either. We are easily scared, willingly let the government spy on us all under the guise of "keeping us safe" and we subscribe to the most trite forms of entertainment. We are wasting the gift John Adams and others fought for.

[olivemike81]

Those great men probably would have never imagined an invention like the telephone. But they sure as hell would decry these warrantless wire taps.

[hanno21664]

I rank this as one of the greatest endings in movie cinema ever! I showed this entire series to my class, and afterwards one student came up to me openly and honestly, and asked me a question, "Do you think the Founding Fathers could ever forgive us for fucking up their creation and what they did for us?" Yes the student used a curse word but the student was so honest in his question I understood him and why he used that word in his question.

[thetenia]

We've let those men down. I would beg their forgiveness if I thought they could hear it, or if I thought anyone deserved it.

[krthomps]

Wonderful comment thetenia. You are right.

[FozzytheRyan]

@thetenia you saying that means your wrong. your saying that mean, that they got across to one person, which is all my boy john ever wanted. also, your in a country where your free to say whatever you like, and thats because of this guy

[megncomedy]

@thetenia Amen. Me too.

[olivemike81]

These men were really an amazing group of people. They beat the most powerful army in the world and than they managed to create a form of government that was different and better than all others that have come before or since. And they were not angels. They were flawed, which only makes their accomplishments more incredible.

[olivemike81]

This is on DVD now. Such a great series.

And the soundtrack is beautiful.

When people say 'they don't make tv like they used to' point them to this and say 'no, they make it better.'

[crazy21legs]

best scene in the series